Fwd: Most Valuable Mineral

[Guest guest]

HSI - Jenny Thompson <hsiweb wrote:

MOST VALUABLE MINERAL

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

 

December 4, 2002

 

**************************************************************

 

Dear Reader,

 

For several years we've been telling you about the advantages

of selenium - a naturally occurring mineral with powerful

antioxidant properties. In both e-Alerts and Member Alerts

we've told you about studies that have shown how a sufficient

selenium intake may lower the risk of prostate, breast,

colorectal and lung cancers.

 

Now a recent study from Indiana University Cancer Center and

Indiana University School of Medicine has explored the theory

that selenium activates an important tumor-suppressing gene

called p53. Scientists estimate that the p53 gene is mutated

in as much as 70% of all cancers.

 

In experiments performed on human lung cancer cells, the

Indiana researchers used selenomethionine, the major

component of selenium, to treat cells that contained p53

genes, and other cells that were deficient in p53. Results

showed conclusively that selenomethionine not only activated

the p53 protein, but also protected cells containing p53.

Based on these findings, the researchers speculate that

selenium therapy may act as a cancer preventive by enhancing

the vitality of p53 genes. When the p53 genes function

properly, cells are more likely to repair the DNA damage that

may promote cancer.

 

-----------------------------

The versatile antioxidant

-----------------------------

 

In addition to its excellent cancer fighting abilities, many

studies have shown that selenium's antioxidant properties may

also fight autoimmune disorders and help increase insulin

efficiency. Other research has concluded that selenium may be

able to stop viruses from mutating and becoming more potent.

And in an e-Alert I sent you last year ( " Popular Supplement

Now Shown to Stop Deadly Epidemics " 6/22/01) I told you how

HSI Panelist Martin Milner, N.D., has used selenium for many

years in his cancer protocol to reduce the complications from

chemotherapy and to increase general longevity.

 

Clearly, the importance of selenium in our diets can't be

overstated. Plant foods are the major dietary sources of

selenium, but the amount of selenium in any plant depends on

the selenium content of the soil it's grown in. For instance,

soils on the high plains of North America have high amounts

of selenium, while the soil in much of China contains low

amounts. So while garlic tends to contain good amounts of

this mineral, the amounts vary depending on the soil the

garlic is grown in.

 

The Brazil nut is the undisputed selenium champ,

with one ounce containing as much as 840 micrograms (mcg) -

well over the government recommended daily intake of 50 mcg.

However, Dr. Martin L. Smith, the author of the Indiana

study, noted that the average diet probably falls short of 50

mcg per day. Furthermore, Dr. Smith believes that in order to

reap the cancer preventive qualities of selenium, intake

needs to be around 200 mcg per day.

 

In other words, if you can't or don't want to add a quarter

ounce of Brazil nuts to your daily diet, you might want to

add selenium to your supplement regimen. But you should also

be aware that too much selenium can be toxic. By too much, I

mean an intake of more than 2,500 mcg per day. So if you

currently take a multi-vitamin, check to see if you're

already getting some amount of selenium. You may be

getting enough, but the chances that you're getting near a

dangerous dose are extremely slim.

 

 

 

********************************************************************

 

 

This past Monday I sent you an e-Alert ( " Protection Money "

12/2/02) with details about how the recently passed Homeland

Security Act was " tweaked " in the 11th hour to include a

provision that threatens to sweep aside approximately 150

pending law suits against Eli Lilly. At issue is the

ingredient thimerosal (manufactured by Lilly), which was used

for many years as a preservative in vaccines given to very

young children. Thimerosal contains mercury which has been

shown to cause autism in some children.

 

Responding to that e-Alert, an HSI member named Pat sent an e-

mail yesterday with this question: " It is not clear from this

write-up what the provisions are that protected the vaccine

producers. Could you spell them out please? "

 

I can - but we'll need to thread through a couple of legal

loopholes.

 

The new provision diverts the 150 existing lawsuits into a

special " vaccine court, " specifically set up to handle legal

actions against vaccine manufacturers. The thimerosal

lawsuits were previously able to avoid the vaccine court

because they weren't suing a vaccine manufacturer, they were

suing Lilly as the manufacturer of an ingredient of a

vaccine. This is an important point because to make a case

that qualifies for action in the vaccine court, the suit must

be filed within three years from the date the symptoms first

appear. In most cases, it takes more than three years for a

child to develop autism from the mercury in thimerosal.

 

Bottom line: when those 150 pending court cases are diverted

to the vaccine court, they'll be dismissed because they fall

outside the statute of limitations.

 

Again, Senator Trent Lott has promised that this provision

will be " worked on " when congress reconvenes in 2003. But

what does " working " on it mean? And even if it's completely

struck from the Homeland Security Act, the damage may be

done. A Lilly spokesman said that his company plans to seek

dismissal of the suits. If they're dismissed and then later

allowed to resume, this may result in each of the litigations

starting over again at square one. One mother of an autistic

child told The New York Times, " It just makes me sick. I

cannot tell you how devastating it is to think that we might

have to start all over. "

 

As I mentioned in Monday's e-Alert, I am not pro-litigation.

Frivolous lawsuits (like suing McDonald's for making you

obese) just clog up the court system and are a waste of

public resources. But in this case, the way that Lilly has

deeply manipulated the legislative system to avoid litigation

is shameful.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

**************************************************************

 

Sources:

" Selenomethionine Regulation of P53 by a Ref1-Dependent Redox

Mechanism " Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,

Vol. 99, Issue 22, 14548-14553, 10/29/02

" Findings Shed Light on how Selenium Prevents Cancer "

American Society of Clinical Oncology, 9/24/02

" Selenium Activates Cancer Suppressor Gene: Study " Suzanne

Rostler, Reuters Health

" Selenium: What is it? " NIH Clinical Center

" Nutrients Are Key to Preventing Cancer " Lauran Neergaard,

Associated Press, 12/2/02

" Daschle and Pelosi Commit to Remove Special Interest

Provisions from Homeland Security Bill " Press Release, U.S.

Congress, 11/20/02

" A Capitol Hill Mystery: Who Aided Drug Maker? " Sheryl Gay

Stolberg, The New York Times, 11/28/02

 

Copyright ©1997-2002 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C.

The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without

written permission.

 

**************************************************************

HTML links for AOL, CompuServe and other users

Improved memory, energy, concentration and stamina

DRIVE OUT TOXINS AND FEEL BRAND NEW

 

**************************************************************

If you'd like to participate in the HSI Forum, search past

e-Alerts and products or you're an HSI member and would like

to search past articles, visit http://www.hsibaltimore.com

 

**************************************************************

To learn more about the Health Sciences Institute, call (508)

368-7494 or http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/HSI/WHSIC313.

 

**************************************************************

IMPORTANT: We have a strict anti-spam policy. It is our

intention to honor all " remove " requests promptly. However,

if you do not follow the instructions below and

simply hit reply instead, we may not receive your request and

cannot guarantee that you will be removed from the list.

 

**************************************************************

 

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

To , e-mail to: Gettingwell-

Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

 

Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now